A type of a collapsible roof (i.e., a folding top) for a vehicle includes a top fabric and a roof cap. The front of the top fabric is wrapped around the roof cap and fixed on the underside of the roof cap. The rear of the top fabric is mounted to the rear of the vehicle body by a tensioning stay or a corner bow. The roof (including the top fabric with the roof cap) is movable between a closed position in which the top fabric covers a roof opening of the vehicle and an opened position in which the top fabric with the roof cap are moved rearward away from the roof opening to thereby expose the roof opening.
When the roof starts to open from the closed position to the opened position, the roof cap is lifted out of its forward position such that tension of the top fabric is released. Such tension of the top fabric secures and seals the closure of the roof opening. The roof cap is lifted so that stress on the seal in the contact region of the roof cap is kept as small as possible. During the roof opening process, the roof cap remains in a position slightly above the set position and is displaced into the rear region of the roof opening by lateral guides and guiding elements. The top fabric is thereby folded over cross bows of the roof such that in the opened position the top fabric is folded and stacked over itself in the rear region of the vehicle body with the roof cap placed on the folded top fabric.
The roof is fixed with respect to the vehicle body through a securing mechanism of the roof cap when the roof is in the opened position. The securing mechanism also fixes the roof cap in its forward position when the roof is in the closed position. In order to design the motions required for these purposes, an adjusting mechanism and guide elements of the roof are equipped with positive guides inside lateral guide rails. These mechanisms can be expensive and complicated depending on the predetermined motions and pivoting actions. As such, these mechanisms can have many components including components that frequently penetrate into and are lockable with one another. Many of the components are delicately designed and can easily be damaged under high load conditions. A danger is thus present that breakdown can occur during the complicated locking and actuation processes of such components. The components often transmit relatively large forces so they are manufactured from suitable materials. Such guiding and locking components are costly to manufacture due to the delicate design, expensive materials, and complicated mechanisms.
DE 10 2009 009 349 A1 describes a collapsible roof having a roof cap and a top fabric. The roof cap and the top fabric are pushed rearward when the roof is moved from the closed position towards the opened position. The roof cap first undergoes a vertical motion during the opening process. The slider has a slotted link in which a slider of a rod element is gripped and guided. The rod element is coupled with the rod-shaped support of the roof cap such that the slider is pushed towards the rear of the vehicle during the roof opening process. The roof cap is thereby moved and lifted by the slotted link. The slider has an unlocking contour on its lower side. The contour actuates a locking mechanism as a consequence of the displacement motion (after closing the roof cap). This retracts a locking bar from a locking aperture of the guide rail. Through this unlocking procedure, the guide element (a slider) is released in its direction of horizontal displacement so that the roof cap and the top fabric can be pushed into the rear of the roof opening.
DE 10 2007 047 457 B4 describes a roof having a roof part which can be displaced and pivoted by storage equipment on a guide of the roof. The roof is moved by a drive apparatus along the guide, which engages through a control apparatus that acts on a section of the path of motion of the roof part and controls the storage equipment. The roof part is pivoted into its angle of tilt relative to the guide. The control apparatus has a stop on the guide that coordinates the pivoting movement of the storage equipment. The roof part is mounted by two control arms on a slider that can be displaced along the guide tracks of guide rails. A hook-shaped locking element is in the front region of the slider with which the roof part can be fixed when the roof is in the closed position. The drive for displacing the roof part and the top fabric mounted thereon operates through a drive cable. The drive cable can be displaced in both the forward and rearward vehicle travel directions.
EP 0 347 859 B1 describes a roof having a roof cap and a top fabric. The roof cap has fasteners on its side ends on which two control arms are pivotably attached. The control arms are mounted on a displaceable slider. A control arm has a contact pin that penetrates into a slotted link of the guide rail. The control arm is forcibly guided by the contact pin and the slotted link according to the shape and path of the slotted link. Thereby, the roof cap may be lifted and maintain this position during the roof opening process. The slider can be displaced by a cable pull in either direction of vehicle travel. The slider is mounted with suitable cutouts in a guide rail. The guide of the slider passes parallel to the guide rail for controlling the roof cap. Locking in the opened position is carried out through the tension of the cable. No provision is made for an additional locking procedure using locking elements in either of the opened or closed positions. The locking of the roof cap is achieved by the forced guiding of the slotted link.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,475 describes a roof having movable flat roof parts. The roof parts are pivotable about a transverse axis located perpendicular to the longitudinal vehicle axis such that their respective ends can be lifted. Sliders can be displaced in side rails in the longitudinal vehicle direction. The rails are connected rigidly with the vehicle body in the region of the roof opening. They are guided and held in place according to the respective sliders by guide contours through supports of the sliders connected to the roof parts. The adjusting kinematics for adjusting the sliders are thereby achieved by the shape of the rails and the sliders that slide in them.